Golden State Warriors Reportedly Interested in Kirk Hinrich Trade

Based on the sheer number of trade rumors they've found themselves in since the ball dropped and the calendars switched over to 2014, the Golden State Warriors are going to find themselves a backup point guard.

It appears point guard Kirk Hinrich will be drawing the most immediate interest when it comes to the Bulls' possible next move. According to a person with knowledge of the situation, the Golden State Warriors are among teams that had been showing serious interest in Hinrich long before the Deng trade.

Now that Luol Deng has been sent to the Cleveland Cavaliers for Andrew Bynum—who was subsequently waived—and some draft picks, the training wheels are off. Chicago general manager Gar Forman is no longer playing around with the notion of tanking; he's presumably going to send away all pieces of value and stockpile future assets.

That's where the Dubs come in, as they're in dire need of a backup point guard.

As good as Stephen Curry is, the Warriors are still suffering because Toney Douglas just doesn't bring that much to the table. Andre Iguodala has been dabbling at the 1, but he's not enough either. The Warriors desperately need to fill the void left by Jarrett Jack's offseason departure if they hope to continue rising up the Western Conference standings.

It's why Golden State still factors heavily into the Andre Miller rumors, and it's why the team is now popping up here.

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Hinrich has struggled this season.

Through 27 games for Chicago, 17 of which he's started, the 33-year-old point guard is averaging 7.8 points, 2.9 rebounds, 4.7 assists, 1.1 steals and 0.4 blocks per game. He's shooting only 34 percent from the field and 28.6 percent beyond the three-point arc, both of which are the worst marks of his underrated career.

But Hinrich has been asked to do too much. At this stage of his career, he should be a backup who plays sparse minutes, not a starter who's asked to create offense on a regular basis.

Between his shooting ability, knack for running an offense in small doses and heady defensive play, he'd be a great fit for the Dubs.

Should the Dubs trade for Hinrich?

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Should the Dubs trade for Hinrich?

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Enough to push them over the top in their brutally difficult conference? Probably not, but he'd still shore up a weakness.

The West is all about maximizing opportunities for success this year, and every little bit helps. Hinrich is no longer a quality starter at this stage of his career, and he's hard-pressed to be a quality backup when playing too many minutes.